FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic drawings for illustrating a manufacturing method of liquid crystal display panels with a plurality of reinforcing members for panel-cutting process prior to a liquid crystal injection process according to a related art, where FIG. 1A is a plan view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line I—I shown in FIG. 1A.
Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a sealing member 3 and auxiliary members 13 as reinforcement members are arranged between a lower substrate 1 having pixel electrodes and an upper substrate 2 having color filter. The sealing member 3 has a frame-shaped pattern with a pair of injection inlets 6 to provide an internal space 5 to be filled with liquid crystal material through the inlets 6. The auxiliary members 13 are designed to have L-shaped pattern or square-bracket pattern for preventing the deformation of the sealing member 3 during the panel-cutting process. These members 3 and 13 are formed on either one of the substrates 1 and 2 by screen-printing such resin as epoxy resin prior to a panel alignment process including a lamination process and heating process for curing the resin.
Following the panel alignment process, the two substrates 1 and 2 are cut off along a first cut line 21, indicated by a two-dot chain line, whereby unnecessary peripheral portions including the auxiliary members 13 are severed from a display region.
Additionally, if necessary, one substrate can be cut off along a second cut line 22, indicated by a one-dot chain line to provide a open space allowing easy connecting process between the panel terminals and external connecting leads such as a flat cable.
A panel thus formed is placed into a vacuum chamber, and liquid crystal is injected into the internal space 5 through the injection inlets 6. After the liquid crystal is injected into the internal space 5, the injection inlets 6 are sealed by a sealing material such as epoxy resin.
During the panel assembly process, the auxiliary members 13 act to prevent the seal member from being deformed when the panel is cut, and also function as reinforcements for maintaining the panel gap at a constant level.
In the panel cutting process, cut line is scribed on the surface of the panel along the cut line 21 positioned between the seal member 3 and the auxiliary members 13, and then pressure is applied to the panel to sever the peripheral region of the panel from the seal member 3. Since the auxiliary members 13 act as reinforcements to the seal member 3 to support the two substrates, the auxiliary members act to lessen the deformation force applied to the seal member 3.
As mentioned above, a plurality of auxiliary members 13 are employed to prevent deformation of the seal members 3 during the panel-cutting process. As such, the seal member 3 is surrounded by the square-bracket-shaped auxiliary members 13, each having approximately the same length as the area forming the internal space 5. Subsequently, in the aligning process of the lower and upper substrates land 2, which is performed under low pressure and high temperature conditions, the route for thermally expanded air in the internal space 5 to flow out to the panel edge 7 is long, and thus prevents air within the internal space 5 to be released easily. As a result, pressure difference is generated between the inside and outside of the internal space 5, thereby causing the cell gap (G) to be enlarged, and cause damage or deformation to the seal member 3.